Officer Says Military Blocked Sharing of Files on Terrorists

[kach22i]

It seems that poor military lawyers are worse than poor military intelligence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/politics/17intel.html?ei=5065&en=2aeff500108cbed3&ex=1124942400&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 - A military intelligence team repeatedly contacted the F.B.I. in 2000 to warn about the existence of an American-based terrorist cell that included the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a veteran Army intelligence officer who said he had now decided to risk his career by discussing the information publicly.

The officer, Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, said military lawyers later blocked the team from sharing any of its information with the bureau.

Colonel Shaffer said in an interview on Monday night that the small, highly classified intelligence program, known as Able Danger, had identified the terrorist ringleader, Mohamed Atta, and three other future hijackers by name by mid-2000, and tried to arrange a meeting that summer with agents of the Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to share its information.

But he said military lawyers forced members of the intelligence program to cancel three scheduled meetings with the F.B.I. at the last minute, which left the bureau without information that Colonel Shaffer said might have led to Mr. Atta and the other terrorists while the Sept. 11 attacks were still being planned.

......................"This was a good news story because, before 9/11, you had an element of the military - our unit - which was actually out looking for Al Qaeda," he continued. "I can't believe the 9/11 commission would somehow believe that the historical value was not relevant."

[rob macdonald]

At that point in time, information sharing of that type was illegal. Suffice to say, the military is governed by the laws enacted by politicians. Our orders come from a politician and his designees. That is why we didn't kill/capture Bin Laden in '97, nor share information in '00.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by rob macdonald
At that point in time, information sharing of that type was illegal. Suffice to say, the military is governed by the laws enacted by politicians. Our orders come from a politician and his designees. That is why we didn't kill/capture Bin Laden in '97, nor share information in '00.

Must be fustrating.

[gaijindabe]

So - at that point in time - who were the politicians?

There is a live chicken market near me, I can get the feathers. Who knows how to heat up tar??

[kach22i]

Originally posted by gaijindabe
So - at that point in time - who were the politicians?

From the article:

efforts to get the evidence from the intelligence program to the F.B.I. in 2000 and early 2001.

Looks like you could blame Clinton or Bush if that's where you want to go with this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush

January 20, 2001 – Present

I'm pulling a Shakespeare and say; hang all the lawyers. Yea, I know he offered that suggestion in jest (me too).

[emcon5]

Originally posted by kach22i
Looks like you could blame Clinton or Bush if that's where you want to go with this.

If you are going to blame the president, make sure you blame the right one....



Tom